ETIN   NO.  32. 


I.  S.   DKPARTMKXT    OF    A(  '.RUM  'l.Tl'KK 

1',  KKKAI      (•!•     AM  MAI.    INDTSTKY. 


THE  TUBERCULIN  TEST  OF  IMPORTED  CATTLE. 


D.  E.  SALMON,  D.  V.  M., 

CHIEF  OF  BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 


of  California 
Regional 
Facility 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNM1.N1      PRINTING    -OFFICE. 
I9OI. 


BULLETIN  No.  32.  (B.  A.  I.  171.1 

U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OE   AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


MTPDPD/TI  IV  TPCT  AP   lAfDADTPh  T  1  TTI  P 
BhliU  L\  ItSl  Or  IMrOKlhD  lAI 


D.   E.   SALMON,   D.  V.   M., 

CHIEF.OF    BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT     PRINTING     O  1   I  I  C  E . 
I9OI. 


LETTER  OF  TRAXSMITTAL 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  Septembers,  1901. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  a  manuscript  on  "The 
tuberculin  test  of  imported  cattle,"  and  recommend  its  publication  as 
Bulletin  No.  32  of  this  Bureau. 

The  necessity  of  guarding  our  food-producing  animals  from  the 
ravages  of  contagious  diseases  has  been  recognized  by  Congress  at 
various  times,  but  principally  in  the  enactment  of  the  statutes  for  the 
establishment  of  this  Bureau  and  for  the  prohibition  of  the  importa- 
tion of  animals  affected  with  an}*  disease  dangerous  to  the  flocks  and 
herds  of  this  countiy.  The  regulations  which  have  been  issued  in 
accordance  with  these  statutes  require  that  the  tuberculin  test  shall  be 
applied  to  all  cattle  over  six  months  old  which  are  imported  into  the 
United  States.  This  test,  being  in  the  nature  of  a  restriction  upon 
the  importation  of  cattle,  has  been  the  subject  of  more  or  less  unfa- 
vorable comment  on  the  part  of  importers  and  their  friends,  and  efforts 
have  been  made  to  secure  its  abandonment.  Under  these  circum- 
stances it  is  deemed  advisable  to  present  the  reasons  for  requiring  the 
tuberculin  test  and  the  importance  of  this  measure  as  a  means  for  pro- 
tecting the  interests  of  the  farmers  of  this  country. 
Respectfully, 

D.  E.  SALMON. 

Chief  of  Bureau. 
Hon.  JAMES  WILSON. 

Secretary. 

3 


CONTEXTS. 


Page. 

Provisions  of  the  regulations 7 

Necessity  of  guarding  against  diseases 7 

Danger  from  tuberculosis 8 

Great  loss  to  fanners  caused  by  tuberculosis 8 

Tuberculosis  a  menace  to  our  export  trade 9 

Tuberculin  test  necessary  to  discover  tul)erculosis 10 

Protection  of  honest  importers 10 

The  reasonableness  of  the  regulations 10 

Tul)erculosis  in  beef  breeds 11 

Loss  from  diseased  breeding  stock 15 

Danger  to  the  range  country 16 

Present  regulations  proper  and  consistent 20 

5 


THE  TUBERCULIN  TEST  OF  IMPORTED  CATTLE. 


PROVISIONS   OF   THE    REGULATIONS. 

The  regulations  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture 
require  that  "All  cattle  over  (j  months  old  imported  into  the  United 
States  after  March  1,1900,  which  are  subject  to  quarantine  and  except 
as  otherwise  provided  shall  be  tested  with  tuberculin."  With  impor- 
tations from  Canada  "A  certificate  for  cattle  over  «j  months  old  for 
breeding  purposes  and  for  milch  cows  must  also  show  that  they  have 
been  submitted  to  the  tuberculin  test  and  found  free  from  tuberculo- 
sis, giving  the  date  of  testing,  with  the  chart  of  reaction,  and  a 
description  of  the  cattle  with  age  and  markings." 

The  effect  of  these  regulations  is  that  all  cattle  over  *>  months  old 
imported  for  breeding  purposes  or  for  milk  production  must  be  tested 
with  tuberculin,  and,  if  found  by  this  test  to  be  affected  with  tuber- 
culosis, they  must  be  excluded  under  the  act  of  August  30,  1890,  which 
prohibits  the  importation  of  animals  "  which  are  diseased  or  infected 
with  any  disease,  or  which  shall  have  been  exposed  to  such  infection 
within  sixty  days  next  before  their  exportation." 

The  tuberculin  test,  being  in  the  nature  of  a  restriction  upon  the 
importation  of  cattle,  has  been  the  subject  of  more  or  less  unfavora- 
ble comment  on  the  part  of  importers  and  their  friends,  and  efforts 
have  been  made  to  secure  its  abandonment.  Under  these  circum- 
stances it  is  deemed  advisable  to  present  the  reasons  for  requiring  the 
tuberculin  test  and  the  importance  of  this  measure  as  a  means  for  pro- 
tecting the  interests  of  the  farmers  of  this  country. 

NECESSITY    OF   GUARDING    AGAINST    DISEASE. 

The  necessity  of  guarding  our  food-producing  animals  from  the  rav- 
ages of  contagious  diseases  has  been  recognized  by  Congress  at  various 
times,  but  principally  in  the  enactment  of  the  statutes  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry  and  prohibiting  the 
importation  of  animals  affected  with  any  disease  dangerous  to  the 
flocks  and  herds  of  this  country.  The  farmers  of  the  United  States 
are  especially  fortunate  in  having  a  larger  investment  in  farm  animals 
than  can  be  found  in  any  other  country,  and  in  the  fact  that  these  ani- 
mals are,  on  the  whole,  remarkably  free  from  di-ease.  Several  of  the 


8  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

most  disastrous  plagues  of  the  Old  World,  such  as  rinderpest,  foot-and- 
mouth  disease,  and  sheep-pox,  have  not  gained  a  lodgment  in  our  ter- 
ritory, while  most  other  forms  of  contagion  are  either  comparatively 
rare  or  under  control. 

In  1884:,  when  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry  was  established,  our 
cattle  industry  was  menaced  by  the  existence  of  contagious  pleuro- 
pneumonia  in  several  States.  That  danger  was  completely  removed 
by  the  prompt  and  thorough  measures  which  resulted  in  the  complete 
eradication  of  the  contagion.  This,  however,  was  not  accomplished 
without  much  bitter  opposition  and  the  most  determined  though  mis- 
guided efforts  to  embarrass  the  work  and  prevent  its  success.  The 
wisdom  of  the  policy  of  eradication  has  since  been  amply  established, 
not  only  by  stopping  the  losses  from  the  disease,  but  much  more  by 
the  freedom  from  panics,  quarantines,  and  other  restrictions  on  account 
of  it  and  the  improved  reputation  of  our  exports  of  cattle  and  meats 
which  followed. 

DANGER   FROM   TUBERCULOSIS. 

At  the  present  time  the  people  of  nearly  every  stock-raising  country 
are  alarmed  over  the  prevalence  of  tuberculosis  among  their  cattle. 
The  disease  is  recognized  as  the  most  widespread,  most  insidious,  and 
most  disastrous  of  any  of  the  diseases  affecting  cattle.  It  is  a  strictly 
contagious  disease  which  may  spread  to  nearly  every  animal  in  a  herd, 
and  not  to  cattle  only,  but  to  swine  and  most  other  species  of  animals. 
The  weight  of  medical  authority  favors  the  conclusion  that  it  may  be 
communicated  from  animals  to  man  with  fatal  results.  The  British 
Congress  on  Tuberculosis  held,  notwithstanding  Dr.  Koch's  view  to 
the  contrary,  that  "in  the  opinion  of  this  congress  medical  health 
officers  should  use  the  powers  at  their  disposal  and  relax  no  effort  to 
prevent  the  spread  of  tuberculosis  by  milk  and  meat.-'  This  being 
the  case  and  there  being  in  existence  a  law  prohibiting  the  importa- 
tion of  diseased  or  exposed  animals,  there  is  every  reason  why  this  law 
should  be  applied  to  tuberculosis  as  well  as  to  other  communicable 
diseases. 

GREAT   LOSS   TO    FARMERS   CAUSED   BY   TUBERCULOSIS. 

There  are  other  reasons  at  this  time  why  the  spread  of  tuberculosis 
should  be  controlled  so  far  as  possible.  Some  of  the  States  and  various 
municipalities  are  making  tuberculin  tests  and  slaughtering  the  cattle 
which  they  find  diseased.  This  causes  considerable  loss,  inconvenience, 
and  hardship,  which  fall  principally  upon  farmers.  The  farmers  for 
the  most  part  introduce  the  disease  into  their  herds  innocently  through 
the  purchase  of  breeding  animals  for  the  improvement  of  their  stock. 
The  class  of  breeding  animals  which  was  being  imported  previous  to 
the  requirement  of  a  tuberculin  test  was  very  dangerous,  nearly  one- 


TUBERCULIN  TEST  OF  IMPORTED  CATTLE.  9 

half  of  some  lots  having  been  found  diseased.  The  diseased  animals 
in  most  cases  were  in  good  condition  of  flesh,  appeared  healthy,  and 
would  deceive  anyone  unless  a  tuberculin  test  were  made.  When  we 
have  such  a  test,  remarkable  for  its  accuracy  and  reliability,  there  is 
no  good  reason  why  speculators  should  be  allowed  to  bring  in  these 
diseased  cattle,  which  are  not  wanted  in  other  countries,  and  scatter 
them  among  the  breeding  herds  and  dairies  of  the  Tinted  States  to 
communicate  disease  and  sooner  or  later  to  bring  about  the  destruction 
of  the  herd  with  the  heavy  loss  which  it  entails.  Common  honesty 
should  lead  those  who  sell  breeding  stock  to  our  farmers  to  take  reason- 
able precautions  to  insure  the  healthfulness  of  the  stock  which  they 
deliver;  but  what  should  be  said  of  the  persons  who  knowingly  import 
and  sell  cattle  affected  with  a  communicable  disease  like  tuberculosis, 
which  may  not  only  destroy  their  patron's  herd,  but  possibly  infect 
some  member  of  his  family  as  well  *  The  farmers  of  the  United  States 
are  entitled  to  protection  from  such  dangers,  and  wherever  laws  exist 
for  this  purpose  they  should  be  enforced  rigidly  and  impartially. 

TUBERCULOSIS  A  MENACE  TO  OUR  EXPORT  TRADE. 

Moreover,  many  of  the  countries  of  the  world  are  now  adopting 
measures  for  suppressing  tuberculosis  among  their  native  animals  and 
for  excluding  tuberculous  animals  from  their  territory.  The  United 
States  has  already  a  great  export  trade  in  animals  and  animal  products, 
and  our  people  are  endeavoring  to  increase  this  trade  by  adding  to  it 
the  sale  of  purebred  cattle  for  improving  the  herds  of  South  America, 
Mexico,  and  perhaps  of  South  Africa.  If  the  proportion  of  animals 
affected  with  tuberculosis  in  our  exported  cattle  should  at  any  time  be 
found  to  be  increasing  we  must  look  for  further  restrictions  and  pro- 
hibitions upon  both  our  animals  and  meats.  Fortunately  our  meat- 
producing  animals  are  to-day  the  freest  from  tuberculosis  of  any 
highly  bred  stock  which  enters  the  markets  of  the  world:  but  how  long 
will  this  continue  to  be  true  if  we  encourage  the  importation  of  breed- 
ing stock  of  which  20.  40,  or  even  6<>  per  cent  is  diseased  when  it  enters 
our  herds  \ 

Some  of  the  countries  to  which  we  are  looking  as  markets  for  our 
purebred  stock  already  require  that  cattle  shall  pass,  the  tuberculin 
test  before  they  are  admitted.  If  we  enter  these  markets  our  cattle 
must  not  only  be  free  from  tuberculosis  when  they  leave  the  farm,  but 
also  when  they  arrive  in  the  foreign  country.  In  other  words,  they 
must  not  be  infected  when  they  leave  home  or  they  will  be  liable  to 
react  by  the  time  they  are  placed  on  sale.  Cattle  which  have  been  for 
any  length  of  time  in  a  tuberculous  herd  are  liable  to  have  the  infec- 
tion within  them  ready  to  develop  at  any  time,  and  particularly  during 
the  exhaustion  and  exposure  incident  to  an  ocean  voyage.  We  should 
not  expect  to  build  up  a  reputation  for  our  cattle  unless  we  send 


10  BUKEAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

healthy  animals  from  healthy  herds.  Should  we  not,  therefore,  adopt 
the  measures  which  are  most  essential  to  secure  health}^  herds  in  this 
country  ? 

TUBERCULIN    TEST   NECESSARY   TO   DISCOVER   TUBERCULOSIS. 

These  considerations,  the  weight  of  which  can  not  be  contested,  led 
to  the  inclusion  of  tuberculosis  among  the  diseases  for  which  cattle 
should  be  prohibited  entry  into  the  United  States.  But  tuberculosis 
is  a  disease  of  a  chronic  nature  which  often  exists  in  an  animal  without 
causing  any  symptoms  that  would  lead  to  its  detection.  With  the 
animals  brought  to  this  country  for  breeding  purposes  not  one-fiftieth 
of  the  tuberculous  individuals  would  be  detected  without  the  tubercu- 
lin test,  and  yet  many  of  these  are  quite  badly  affected  and  capable  of 
spreading  the  disease.  Consequently  the  tuberculin  test  has  been 
adopted  as  the  only  means  of  guarding  against  the  introduction  of 
tuberculosis  with  imported  cattle. 

PROTECTION    OF    HONEST   IMPORTERS. 

As  it  was  soon  apparent  that  the  unofficial  tests  made  abroad  were 
unsatisfactory,  and  cattle  which  were  certified  as  sound  reacted  when 
they  reached  our  quarantine  stations,  an  inspector  was  sent  to  Great 
Britain,  the  country  from  which  most  of  our  purebred :  stock  is  pur- 
chased, and  cattle  are  now  officially  tested  before  they  leave  the  farm 
where  they  were  raised.  An  arrangement  has  also  been  made  to 
accept  the  certificates  of  tuberculin  tests  issued  by  the  Canadian  official 
veterinarians.  This  action  has  almost  entirely  protected  American 
importers  from  the  condemnation  of  animals  at  the  time  of  importa- 
tion, and  at  the  same  time  aids  them  in  securing  only  health}T  cattle. 
For  these  tests  made  abroad  there  is  no  expense  to  the  importer,  as 
this  Government  pays  the  inspector's  salary  and  expenses  and  the  cer- 
tificates are  issued  without  charge, 

It  would  appear  that  these  efforts  to  protect  our  farmers  from  dis- 
ease and  at  the  same  time  to  protect  the  importer  from  loss  would 
meet  with  instant  and  unanimous  approval.  This,  however,  is  not  the 
case.  There  is  still  much  dissatisfaction  on  the  part  of  the  few — the 
very  few  comparatively — who  import  cattle  or  who  are  indirectly 
interested  in  importations. 

THE    REASONABLENESS   OF   THE    REGULATIONS. 

The  desirability  of  the  regulations  has  been  denied;  the  danger 
from  tuberculosis  has  been  questioned;  the  tuberculin  test  has  been 
denounced. 

It  is  the  object  of  this  bulletin  to  show  the  reasonableness  of  the 
regulations  requiring  a  tuberculin  test  for  imported  cattle,  and  that 
the  interests  of  our  farmers  and  cattle  raisers  demand  its  continuance. 


TUBERCULIN  TEST  OF  IMPORTED  CATTLE.          11 

That  the  profits  of  some  importers  may  be  reduced  is  freely  admitted; 
that  there  may  be  interference  with  the  plans  of  breeders  and  dealers 
in  other  countries,  some  of  whom  have  been  prompt  to  voice  their 
indignation,  is  not  at  all  unlikely;  but  the  question  is  larger  than  this — 
it  is  the  maintenance  of  the  healthfullness  and  integrity  of  our  own 
breeding  herds;  it  is  the  protection  of  the  public  health  of  this  country 
by  avoiding,  so  far  as  possible,  the  propagation  of  this  dangerous  dis- 
ease among  our  food-producing  animals;  it  is  the  preservation  of  our 
enormous  export  trade  in  live  animals,  meats,  and  dairy  products. 
What  could  be  more  essential  than  this  to  the  prosperity  of  our  agri- 
culture and  the  welfare  of  the  nation  ? 

TUBERCULOSIS    IX    BEEF    BREEDS. 

It  has  been  asserted,  however,  that  there  is  no  evidence  that  cattle 
offered  from  the  beef  breeds  of  Great  Britain  are  dangerous,  and  it  is 
alleged  that  this  Government  has  no  statistics  or  facts  whatever  bear- 
ing upon  the  class  of  cattle  to  which  the  regulation  direct!}'  applies. 
That  of  itself,  it  is  claimed,  is  a  rank  injustice  upon  the  face  of  it.1 
If  these  charges  were  correct  the}-  would  make  it  appear  that  the  tuber- 
culin test  of  purebred  cattle  of  the  beef  breeds  coming  from  Great 
Britain  has  not  been  shown  to  be  necessary — that  it  is  an  uncalled  for 
restriction  and  a  rank  injustice.  The  farmers  of  the  Ignited  States 
have  a  right  to  know  the  facts  with  reference  to  such  an  important 
matter  and  one  which  so  directly  affects  their  present  and  future 
interests.  Some  details  will  therefore  be  presented  which,  it  is 
believed,  will  be  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  unbiased  reader. 

In  189-i  a  royal  commission  was  appointed  in  Great  Britain  "  to 
inquire  into  the  effect  of  food  derived  from  tuberculous  animals  on 
human  health."  This  commission  had  the  power  to  summon  witnesses, 
to  take  evidence,  to  examine  books,  documents,  and  records,  and  per- 
sonally to  visit  and  inspect  such  places  as  it  deemed  expedient.  The 
report,  which  was  made  in  1895,  after  giving  the  statistics  of  the 
Copenhagen  slaughterhouses,  where  IT. 7  per  cent  of  the  oxen  and 
cows  were  found  tuberculous,  and  of  the  Berlin  slaughterhouses,  where 
15.1  per  cent  of  such  animals  were  tuberculous,  used  the  following 
language : 

There  do  not  exist  for  the  United  Kingdom  any  records  with  which  these  can  l>e 
compared.  At  Copenhagen  and  Berlin  all  the  meat  furnished  to  the  towns  is  sub- 
mitted to  the  inspection  of  experts.  But  we  have  reason  to  think  that  the  facts 
about  tuberculous  animals  would  exhibit  a  broad  resemblance  to  the  foregoing 
[i.e.,  to  those  of  Berlin  and  Copenhagen]  if  such  records  could  be  obtained — not 
more  different  in  degree,  that  is,  than  the  difference  seen  between  the  Copenhagen 
and  Berlin  records,  or  than  would  be  explained  by  variations  in  the  practice  of  deal- 
ing with  food  animals  in  one  and  another  country.  Such  few  data  as  are  to  l>e  had 
for  the  United  Kingdom  confirm  this  view.  [Report  I.  p.  11.] 

1  Breeders'  Gazette,  February  20,  1901. 


12  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

In  1896  a  second  royal  commission  was  appointed  "to  inquire  into 
the  administrative  procedures  for  controlling  danger  to  man  through 
the  use  as  food  of  the  meat  and  milk  of  tuberculous  animals."  This 
commission  had  equal  power  to  investigate,  and  in  its  report,  which 
was  made  in  1898,  it  said: 

One  very  serious  feature  in  the  distribution  of  this  disease  is  its  prevalence  among 
high-class  pedigree  stock.  [Report  I,  p.  5.] 

The  returns  from  testing  British  cattle  with  tuberculin,  supplied  by 
the  Royal  Veterinaiy  College,  as  stated  in  March,  1900,  showed  that 
among  15,392  animals  tested  4,105,  or  26  per  cent,  reacted.1 

During  the  slaughter  of  cattle  for  pleuropneumonia  careful  exami- 
nations of  the  carcasses  were  made  for  tuberculosis.  Of  300  head 
killed  near  Edinburgh  120,  or  40  per  cent,  were  tuberculous.2  Of 
4,160  killed  in  England  20  per  cent  were  tuberculous.3  Of  one  of 
these  lots  of  cattle  (451  animals)  the  president  of  the  Lancashire  Farm- 
ers' Association  testified  that  they  were  fairly  representative  cattle  — 
cows,  heifers,  and  growing  stock  —  a  thoroughly  mixed  lot.  Twenty 
per  cent  of  these  animals  had  tuberculosis. 

Of  398  bovine  animals  taken  haphazard  in  the  cit}r  of  Manchester 
120,  or  30  per  cent,  were  tuberculous.  Among  these  animals  were  168 
cows,  69,  or  41  per  cent,  being  tuberculous,  and  2  having  diseased 
udders.* 

The  result  of  testing  the  Queen's  herd  at  Windsor  was  that  36  out 
of  40,  or  90  per  cent,  were  found  tuberculous.5 

The  investigations  made  by  the  British  Daily  Farmers'  Association 
deserve  particular  attention,  coming  as  they  do  directly  from  a  cattle 
owners'  organization.  The  council  of  this  association  "resolved  to 
submit  the  general  consideration  of  the  question  to  a  committee,  with  a 
view  to  some  more  definite  understanding  as  to  the  possible  extent  to 
which  tuberculosis  exists  in  dairy  cattle.  "  The  secretary  was  instructed 
to  write  to  a  number  of  dairy  farmers,  being  members  of  the  association, 
asking  their  cooperation  and  the  use  of  their  herds  for  the  application 
of  the  tests.  Of  the  herds  offered,  9  were  selected  containing  461 
cows  and  12  bulls,  and  188  of  these  animals  reacted,  being  40.  8  per 
cent.  There  were  among  these  cattle  335  Shorthorns,  of  which  119, 
or  35  per  cent,  reacted;  67  cross-breds,  of  which  28,  or  42  per  cent, 
reacted;  47  Ayrshires,  of  which  37,  or  80  per  cent,  reacted.6 

Another  experiment  carrying  great  weight  is  that  of  the  Cheshire 
County  council.  The  technical  instruction  committee  set  aside  £250 


.  of  Comp.  Path,  and  Ther.,  March,  1900,  p.  69. 

2  Kept.  Roy.  Com.,  1895,  Pt.  I,  p.  11. 

3  Report  of  Royal  Commission,  1898,  Pt.  II,  pp.  47-288. 

4  Report  of  Royal  Commission,  1898,  Pt.  II,  p.  164. 

5  Jour,  of  Comp.  Path,  and  Ther.,  1899,  p.  50. 

6  Jour.  British  Dairy  Farmers'  Association,  September  29,  1899. 


TUBERCULIN  TEST  OF  IMPORTED  CATTLE.          13 

to  be  used  by  a  joint  committee  from  the  agricultural  and  horticultural 
schools  and  Worleson  Dairy  Institute  for  applying  the  tuberculin  test 
to  their  herds.  The  tests  were  made  February  15. 1899.  The  results 
were:  Worleson  herd  of  54  animals,  16  diseased,  or  29.0  per  cent; 
agricultural  school  herd  of  17  animals,  4  diseased,  or  23.5  percent. 
The  Worleson  herd  consisted  of  Shorthorn  cows.  In  each  herd  the 
purebred  Shorthorn  bull  was  tuberculous.  The  results  of  the  tuber- 
culin test  were  confirmed  by  the  slaughter  of  the  animals  and  exami- 
nation of  the  carcasses.1 

Sir  T.  D.  G.  Carmichael.  member  of  Parliament  for  Midlothian,  gave 
evidence  before  the  royal  commission  that  his  Polled  Angus  herd  was 
tested  in  the  spring  of  1895.  "The  results  of  the  test  were  fearfully 
unexpected  and  alarming."  Of  30  tested  13  showed  decided  reaction — 
43  per  cent.  Again,  he  speaks  of  having  41  animals  tested  the  same 
spring  and  16  reacted — 39.5  per  cent.2 

Of  80  Shorthorn  cattle,  intended  for  export,  which  were  tested  34 
reacted,  or  42  per  cent.3 

Of  a  herd  of  25  British  Shorthorns  recently  tested  in  quarantine  40 
per  cent  were  found  tuberculous. 

The  addition  of  these  animals  above  referred  to  gives  20,930  head 
examined  and  5,441,  or  26  per  cent,  pronounced  tuberculous.  And 
these  herds  were  not  selected  because  they  were  supposed  to  be  tuber- 
culous, but  represent  the  general  cattle  stock  of  the  country.  These 
animals  included  at  least  470  head  of  Shorthorns,  of  which  170,  or  34 
per  cent,  were  tuberculous. 

To  these  facts  may  be  added  the  evidence  of  Professor  Bang  that 
tuberculosis  was  brought  to  Denmark  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century  by  cattle  from  Switzerland,  Schleswig,  and  England,  and  that 
the  same  thing  is  now  going  on  in  Sweden  and  Norway,  particularly 
through  English  cattle.* 

Also  the  evidence  of  M.  Sivori,  chief  of  section  at  the  ministry  of 
agriculture,  Argentina,  who  has  investigated  tuberculosis  in  that  coun- 
trv.  and  who  savs  that  "thirtv  or  fortv  vears  ago  tuberculosis  was 

•/   *  *.  *  •,        * 

unknown  in  Argentine  cattle,  and  it  is  still  unknown  among  the  native 
(Criollo)  cattle.  Its  appearance  dates  from  the  introduction  of  pure 
breeding  animals.  Statistics  prove  that  tuberculosis  is  observed  among 
the  grades,  above  all  among  those  of  the  Durham  and  less  among  the 
Hereford."5 

And  also  the  evidence  of  the  royal  commission  of  Victoria.  Aus- 

1  Journ.  of  Comp.  Path,  and  Ther.,  1899,  p.  344. 
*Rept.  Roy.  Com.,  1898,  II,  pp.  288,  289. 

3  Journ.  of  Comp.  Path,  and  Ther.,  1899,  p.  69. 

4  Congress  for  the  Study  of  Tuberculosis  in  Men  and  Animals,  Jth  session,  Paris. 
1898,  p.  247. 

5Recueil  de  Med.Veterinaire,  1899,  p.  603. 


14  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

tralia,  and  of  the  New  Zealand  department  of  agriculture,  showing  a 
large  proportion  of  tuberculous  cattle  in  those  colonies,  where  the  dis- 
ease was  almost  certainly  carried  by  British  cattle. 

Returning  now  to  the  report  of  the  British  royal  commission,  one 
witness  testified  that  in  his  experience  the  most  susceptible  cattle  were 
''Shorthorns,  Ayrshires,  and,  following  them,  Jerseys."1  Another 
witness,  a  salesman  and  cattle  dealer,  and  vice-president  of  the 
National  Federation  of  Butchers  and  Meat  Traders,  testified  that  there 
is  more  tuberculosis  in  purebred  pedigree  Shorthorns  than  in  other 
breeds,  and  that  on  this  account  he  would  never  buy  fat  cattle  from 
certain  families  of  Shorthorns  unless  they  were  crossed  with  some 
other  cattle.2 

In  justice  to  Shorthorn  cattle  it  should  be  said  in  this  connection 
that  they  are  probably  no  more  susceptible  to  tuberculosis  than  are 
other  breeds,  but  the  disease  has  been  allowed  to  spread  in  certain 
herds  and  families  to  such  an  extent  as  to  give  a  wrong  impression 
concerning  the  breed  as  a  whole. 

In  the  same  manner  that  tuberculosis  has  been  carried  from  Great 
Britain  to  Denmark,  Sweden,  Norway,  Argentina,  and  Australia, 
it  has  also  been  taken  to  Canada.  In  one  herd  of  imported  cattle 
slaughtered  in  the  Canadian  quarantine  station,  13  out  of  14  animals 
were  found  tuberculous.  One  of  the  largest  Shorthorn  herds  in 
Canada  was  some  time  ago  tested  because  an  animal  from  it  was 
condemned  when  offered  for  shipment  to  the  United  States.  This 
herd  was  found  to  be  very  badly  affected  and  an  effort  is  being  made 
to  eradicate  the  disease  by  the  Bang  method.  A  Canadian  official 
publication  says  of  another  Shorthorn  herd,  which  at  one  time  had  a 
very  high  reputation,  that  when  an  investigation  in  regard  to  tuber- 
culosis was  recently  made  the  disease  was  found  among  ordinary  cattle 
wherever  animals  from  this  herd  had  been  introduced,  and  that  this 
herd,  which  had  been  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  greatest  benefits  to 
the  farming  community,  was  really  a  danger,  because  it  disseminated 
tuberculosis  among  the  farmers'  herds.3  Still  another  well-known 
herd  recently  attracted  attention  because  4  animals  from  it  offered  for 
export  to  the  United  States  were  all  tuberculous. 

From  December  23,  1900,  to  February  19, 1901,  the  period  that  the 
Department  inspector  tested  all  Canadian  cattle  intended  for  shipment 
to  the  United  States,  140  purebred  Shorthorns  and  3  Shorthorn  grades 
were  tested,  and  of  the  total  number  26,  or  18  per  cent,  reacted.  During 
the  first  month  that  this  inspection  was  enforced  and  when  it  may  be 
assumed  that  the  condition  of  the  cattle  most  nearly  represented  what 
it  had  previously  been,  74  cattle  were  offered  for  importation  and  18, 
or  24.3  per  cent,  were  found  tuberculous.  This  evidence  is  submitted 
to  the  farmers  of  the  United  States  for  their  information.  It  is  direct, 

!Part  II,  p.  284.  2Part  II,  pp.  310, 311. 

'Tests  and  Treatment  of  Tuberculous  Cattle,  1900,  p.  19. 


TUBERCULIN  TEST  OF  IMPORTED  CATTLE.          15 

reliable,  comprehensive,  and  little  less  than  astounding.  It  shows  the 
kind  of  cattle  which  were  being  brought  to  this  country  before  the 
tuberculin  test  was  applied,  and  which  some  persons  have  been  solici- 
tous to  have  admitted  without  a  test  to  discover  the  presence  of  this 
disease.  Such  cattle  were  imported  for  breeding  purposes,  and  they 
were  distributed  among  the  breeding  herds  of  this  country,  and,  when 
diseased,  they  contaminated  our  meat  and  milk  supply  at  the  very 
fountain  head  of  these  industries. 

LOSS   FROM   DISEASED   BREEDING   STOCK. 

It  is  difficult  for  even  the  best  informed  persons  to  realize  the  loss 
which  our  farmers  and  dairymen  have  suffered  from  the  unrestricted 
distribution  of  diseased  breeding  stock  during  recent  years.  As  an 
example,  a  single  instance  is  quoted  which  was  put  on  record  by  one 
of  our  most  thoughtful  and  trusted  American  agricultural  workers. 
In  a  recent  communication.  Prof.  W.  A.  Henry,  director  of  the 
Wisconsin  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  said: 

Several  years  ago  the  writer  of  this  communication  received  a  letter  from  a  good 
citizen  in  the  State  of  Iowa,  asking  him  to  name  some  breeder  of  good  cattle  of  a 
certain  breed  from  whom  the  inquirer  might  purchase  some  choice  stock.  As  a  result 
this  Iowa  party  came  to  Wisconsin  and  purchased  7  head  of  purebred  stock,  paying 
good  prices  for  them.  In  taking  that  stock  back  to  Iowa  he  carried  back  tubercu- 
losis in  the  most  virulent  form  it  ever  affected  a  herd  in  this  State.  He  lost  all  of 
the  7  animals  purchased  through  death  by  tuberculosis,  and  contaminated  his  whole 
herd  so  that  he  was  forced  to  sacrifice  all  of  the  dairy  animals  he  had.  And  this  is 
but  one  of  more  than  a  dozen  places  where  tuberculosis  was  spread  by  sales  from  a 
single  herd  of  purebred  cattle.  [Hoard's  Dairyman,  Dec.  28,  1900.] 

Is  there  any  possible  argument  which  can  be  advanced  to  show  that 
it  is  in  the  interest  of  farmers  and  stock  raisers  generally  to  perpetuate 
the  existence  of  this  terrible  disease  among  our  breeding  herds,  and, 
much  less,  to  favor  the  introduction  of  still  more  contagion  from 
abroad  {  Not  only  is  it  against  the  farmers'  interests  to  have  the  dis- 
ease favored  and  propagated  and  spread,  but  it  is  also  against  the  inter- 
est of  the  breeder  of  purebred  stock. 

The  farmers  and  dairymen  who  have  suffered  from  tuberculosis  in 
their  herds  have  not  yet  fully  realized  that  they  have  generally  intro- 
duced the  disease  by  the  purchase  of  purebred  stock.  Only  a  few 
weeks  ago  great  excitement  was  caused  in  Vermont  by  the  slaughter 
of  several  large  daily  herds  in  which  a  very  large  proportion  of  the 
animals  were  found  tuberculous.  Some  writers  for  the  press  exclaimed 
in  effect:  ''These  are  our  most  valuable  and  highly  bred  herds:  if  they 
are  tuberculous  to  such  an  extent,  what  must  be  the  condition  of  the 
remainder  of  our  cattle!"  They  did  not  grasp  the  idea  that  these 
particular  herds  bid  probably  been  contaminated  in  the  very  effort  to 
improve  them  by  using  purebred  breeding  stock.  But  others  who 
have  traced  the  origin  of  such  outbreaks  and  disasters  will  soon  make 
the  fact  apparent  to  every  sufferer,  and  then  there  may  be  such  fear 


16  BUKEAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 

of  purebred  stock  that  the  market  will  be  injured  and  the  cattle  industry 
retarded  for  many  years  in  its  development.  The  enterprising  breed- 
ers of  purebred  stock  in  the  United  States  should  take  active  steps  at 
once  to  guard  against  such  a  result.  They  should  not,  by  any  neglect 
on  their  part,  allow  a  prejudice  to  form  in  the  public  mind  which 
would  be  detrimental  to  the  live-stock  interests  of  the  country.  There 
is  nothing  that  promises  more  benefit  to  American  agriculture  than  the 
rapid  grading  up  of  our  herds  by  the  use  of  purebred  stock  of  the 
improved  breeds,  providing  this  stock  is  free  from  disease;  but,  on 
the  other  hand,  if  this,  stock  is  permitted  by  the  breeders  to  become 
tuberculous,  if  the  purebred  herds  are  the  centers  from  which  the 
contagion  is  constantly  spread  over  the  country,  there  is  nothing  which 
can  do  more  harm.  Our  herds  are  probably  in  better  condition  to-day 
than  those  of  any  other  country.  Is  it  not  important  that  they  should 
be  kept  in  this  superior  condition,  and  that  the  small  proportion  with 
disease  should  be  cleaned  up  and  not  allowed  to  continue  a  menace  to 
a  great  industry  ? 

DANGER  TO  THE  RANGE  COUNTRY. 

The  danger  from  tuberculosis  is  not  confined  to  the  dairy  and  farm- 
ing regions  of  the  country.  It  menaces  the  cattle  on  the  ranges  of  the 
Great  Plains  and  Rocky  Mountain  region  as  well.  Heretofore  it  has 
been  generally  believed  that  the  ravages  of  this  disease  were  confined 
to  cattle  that  pass  at  least  a  portion  of  the  year  in  stables.  This  con- 
clusion is  now  disproved  by  the  spread  of  tuberculosis  in  Argentina, 
Australia,  and  New  Zealand,  where  the  cattle  pass  their  entire  lives  in 
the  open  air,  and  where  the  climate  is  very  favorable  to  the  cure  of 
tuberculosis  in  man,  as  is  particularly  the  case  in  parts  of  Australia. 
If  the  cattle  in  the  countries  mentioned  are  subject  to  this  disease, 
how  can  we  expect  our  range  cattle  to  retain  their  comparative  exemp- 
tion from  its  attacks  if  we  continue  to  turn  among  them  a  constant 
stream  of  tuberculous  breeding  stock? 

The  slaughterhouse  statistics  of  Buenos  Aires,  the  capital  of  Argen- 
tina, for  1898  give  the  following  figures: 

Number  of  rattle  slaughtered  and  number  found  tuberculous  in  Buenos  Aires  in  1898. 


Affected    i    Percent- 


Cows    . 

128  032  ' 

660 

0.5 

Steers  

308,207 

C41 

.2 

Total  

436,239 

1,306 

.3 

That  is,  of  the  cows  slaughtered  for  beef  about  &  in  1.000  are  tuber- 
culous; of  the  steers,  2  in.  1,000;  and  of  all  the  cattle  slaughtered  3  in 
1,000  are  affected  with  this  disease.  There  are  at  Buenos  Aires  a  total 
of  4,844  milch  cows,  of  which  3,717  have  been  tested  with  tuberculin 


TUBERCULIN  TEST  OF  IMPORTED  CATTLE. 


17 


and  657  found  tuberculous.     This  shows  17.7  per  cent  of  the  cows 
affected.     (Sivori.) 

The  dairy  instructor  of  Queensland,  Australia,  said  in  the  annual 
report  of  the  department  of  agriculture  of  that  colony  for  1897-98: 

This  disease  is  gaining  ground  very  rapidly,  and  from  tests  and  personal  observa- 
tions I  am  quite  satisfied  that  20  per  cent  of  the  dairy  herds  in  Queensland  are  more 
or  less  affected  with  tuberculosis.  *  *  *  The  question  may  be  asked  why  this 
disease  was  not  prevalent  years  ago.  The  answer  is  that  the  disease  is  spreading 
more  rapidly  every  year,  and  for  every  one  beast  that  is  affected  this  year  five  times 
the  number  will  contract  the  disease  next  year,  and  so  the  disease  will  continue  to 
spread  unless  stringent  measures  are  adopted  to  check  it. 

A  year  later  the  director  of  the  stock  institute  stated  that  "  the  time 
has  arrived  when  stock  breeders  and  dairy  farmers  are  beginning-  to 
recognize  that  some  active  steps  should  be  taken  in  attempting  to 
eradicate  this  most  terrible  of  all  bovine  diseases.7'  He  further  says: 

The  numerous  practical  demonstrations  by  officers  of  this  institute,  in  various  cen- 
ters, have  been  the  means  of  convincing  numbers  of  stock  owners  on  the  following 
points  in  connection  with  tuberculosis  in  cattle  and  the  tuberculin  test: 

(1)  That  the  disease  (tuberculosis)  is  extremely  prevalent. 

(2)  The  impossibility  of  detecting  the  disease  in  the  earlier  stages  by  outward 
signs. 

(3)  That  contagion  is  the  principal  means  by  which  the  disease  is  spread. 

(4)  That  heredity  does  not  exert  the  amount  of  influence  that  is  generally  supposed. 

(5)  That  the  disease  is  preventable.1 

The  proportion  of  animals  in  the  general  stock  of  the  colony  of 
Queensland  which  are  affected  with  tuberculosis  is  shown  by  the  fol- 
lowing table  compiled  from  the  inspection  returns  at  the  various  meat 
works : 

Number  of  cattle  and  pigs  slaughtered  and  number  found  tuberculous  in  Queensland  in 

1897-98. 


Bullocks.                        Cows.                           Pigs. 

Meat  works. 

Slaugh-      Tuber- 
tered.       culous. 

Slaugh- 
tered. 

Tuber-      Slaugh- 
culous.   ,    tered. 

Tuber- 
culous. 

Eagle  Farm  Work" 

Number. 
42,  256 
30,  279 
3,988 
1,997 
1,145 

Per  ff  nt. 
0.  .564 
.429 
.940 
1.614 
.262 

y  umber. 
4,824 
5,318 
1,473 
1,640 

Per  cent. 
2.990 
1.119 
2  511 

y  umber. 

Per  cent. 

1,325 

0.  452 

Oakey  Creek  Work* 

3.231 

232 
43,  253 
5,537 

.430 
.147 
.374 

X,  751 
15.  735 

.882 
2.408 

4,389 
4,521 

2.  870 
3.149 

Total '    1 04, 151 


22. 165 


In  the  Federal  inspection  of  the  United  States  the  percentage  of 
condemnations  for  tuberculosis  in  cattle  in  the  year  ended  June  30, 
1900,  was  0.0976,  or  about  one-ninth  that  shown  for  bullocks  in  the 


1  Annual  Report  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  Queensland,  1898-99,  pp.  108. 109. 
5418— No.  32—01 2 


18 


BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 


above  table  from  Queensland.  The  percentage  of  condemnations  with 
hogs  was  in  the  United  States  0.0233,  or  about  one-eighth  that  shown 
in  Queensland. 

There  are  in  Queensland,  however,  a  number  of  meat  works  not 
included  in  the  table  because  the  bullocks  and  cows  were  not  separated. 
These  m&y  be  grouped  as  follows: 

Additional  meat  works,  showing  number  of  cattle  and  pigs  slaughtered  and  number  found 

tuberculous. 


Meat  works. 

Cattle. 

Pigs. 

Slaughtered. 

Tuberculous. 

Slaughtered. 

Tuberculous. 

Lakes  Creek  Works  

Number. 
48,137 
28,206 
3,378 
33,  996 
19,586 
18,878 

Per  cent. 
3.92 
1.68 
5.59 
2.68 
1.39 
9.50 

Number. 

1,135 

Per  cent. 
2.71 

Gravial  Park  Meat  Works  .        

Gladstone  Meat  Works                                 

Sellheim  Meat  Works  

Total      

152,  181 

3.63 

1,135 

2.71 

If  the  percentage  of  animals  found  tuberculous  at  the  first  group  of 
works  is  surprising,  that  at  the  second  group  appears  simph'  amazing, 
as  it  is  more  than  four  times  as  great.  The  proportion  of  pigs  found 
tuberculous  at  Lakes  Creek  and  of  cattle  at  the  Sellheim  Meat  Works 
is  remarkable  and  demonstrates  to  what  extent  tuberculosis  may  spread 
even  where  animals  run  at  large  and  where  the  climate  is  very  favora- 
ble. That  this  inspection  does  not  show  the  full  extent  of  tuberculosis 
in  that  colony  is  indicated  by  the  returns  from  the  Mackay  Meat  Works, 
where  among  the  bullocks  slaughtered  there  were  2.408  per  cent  of 
carcasses  or  parts  of  carcasses  tuberculous,  but  it  was  necessary  to 
condemn  4.82  per  cent  of  the  tongues  of  these  bullocks  because  they 
were  affected  with  this  disease.  This  large  proportion  of  affected 
tongues  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  contagion  is  spread  through 
the  pastures  and  that  the  germs  gain  entrance  to  the  body  in  many 
cases  through  the  mouth.1 

In  New  South  Wales  tuberculosis  has  been  known  for  many  years 
among  cattle  and  was  designated  the  "coast  cough"  long  before  its 
nature  was  suspected.  In  1890  an  official  investigation  proved  that 
the  "coast  cough"  was  really  tuberculosis  and  that  "bovine  tubercu- 
losis was  extensively  prevalent  among  dairy  cattle  in  the  south  coast 
district."  It  was  also  reported  that  "infective  disease,  probably  tuber- 
culosis, is  to  be  found  among  swine  fed  on  skim  milk  from  butter  fac- 
tories, and  is  not  improbabh'  due  to  the  use  of  milk  from  tuberculous 
cattle." 

In  a  letter  from  the  department  of  public  health,  Sydney,  New  South 
Wales,  February  20,  1900,  signed  J.  Ashburton  Thompson,  addressed 


'Annual  Report  of  Department  of  A-griculture,  Queensland,  1898-99,  pp.  122-128. 


TUBERCULIN  TEST  OF  IMPORTED  CATTLE.          19 

to  the  United  States  consul  at  that  place  and  forwarded  through  the 
State  Department,  occurs  the  following: 

The  percentage  of  tulx>rculous  animals  discovered  at  the  work.*  managed  by  Mr. 
Gee  is  not  great.  It  is  less  than  we  discovered  in  the  ordinary  course  of  business  at 
Glebe  Island,  and  that  may  be  taken  on  an  average  to  be  about  3.5  per  cent  over  all 
on  a  number  which  averages  77,000  head  of  horned  cattle,  among  which  the  numl>er 
of  cows  may  be  stated  as  usually  6,000,  or  about  a  thirteenth. 

In  other  words,  the  proportion  of  cattle  affected  with  tuberculosis 
in  New  South  Wales  appears  to  be  fully  as  great  as  in  Queensland. 

In  New  Zealand  tuberculosis  is  apparently  somewhat  more  preva- 
lent than  in  Australia,  and  affects  cattle  which  are  never  stabled.  The 
following  table,  compiled  from  the  returns  of  veterinary  inspectors 
at  various  slaughtering  establishments,  shows  the  percentage  of  tuber- 
cular animals  among  the  beef  cattle  and  pigs  of  the  colony: 1 

dumber  of  cattle,  calces,  and  pigs  found  tuberculous  in  J\V'f  Zealand. 


Affected        Percent- 
Examined,  with  tuber-  age  tuber- 
culosis,         culous. 


Cattle 21, 160  933 

Cal ves 876 

Pigs 5. 066  35 

Referring  to  the  causation  of  the  disease.  Dr.  Gilruth  says: 

I  am  not  of  the  opinion  that  dairy  cows  as  a  whole  receive  the  contagium  by  means 
of  contaminated  byres,  or  sheds,  though  certain  of  their  number  may  do  so.  The 
majority  of  the  milking  sheds  which  I  have  examined  were  only  used  during  the 
operation  of  milking;  few  of  the  animals  were  fed  therein,  and  l>eing  in  nearly  every 
instance  built  of  timber  without  a  wall  on  the  lee  side,  they  were  only  too  well 

ventilated. 

*  *  #  *  *  *  # 

Were  the  disease  confined  to  the  dairy  herds  in  the  colony  we  might  still  hesitate 
before  condemning  the  "want-of-ventilation. "  theory.  But  when  one  finds  fre- 
quently a  large  percentage  of  animals  affected  which  have  never  been  housed,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  no  house  is  necessary  or  desirable,  the  theory  fails.  Hul locks 
are  never,  under  any  circumstances,  housed  in  the  colony  from  the  day  they  are 
born  in  the  paddock  till  they  are  slaughtered,  yet  we  have  seen  that  the  number  of 
bullocks  which  are  found  affected  at  the  abattoir  is  considerable.  I  hail  a  striking 
example  of  this  during  the  hi>t  year.  Out  of  a  large  herd  of  bullocks  in  the  North 
Island,  40  of  which  the  inspector  was  suspicious  were  drafted  for  slaughter.  I  per- 
sonally made  a  jmstmortem  examination  of  11  of  the  number — the  first  of  the  lot 
to  be  slaughtered— and  of  the  11  found  9  tul>ercular  to  a  marked  degree.  These 
animals  were  bullocks,  6-year-olds  and  over,  the  culls  of  the  herd  for  several  years, 
which  had  run  in  paddocks  of  at  least  1,000  acres  in  extent,  had  never  In-en  under 
a  roof  till  in  the  railway  truck,  and  could  only  l>e  approached  on  horseback.  To 
anticipate  any  possible  objection,  it  may  be  stated  that  microscopical  examinations 
were  made  of  the  tissues  with  positive  results. 


1  Report  of  J.  A.  (Jilnith.  M.   R.  ('.  V.  S.,  chief  veterinary  officer  and  bacteriolo- 
gist, New  Zealand  Department  of  Agriculture.  ItHX),  p.  IS. 


20  BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 

These  facts  are  cited  to  show  the  danger  with  which  our  cattle  are 
menaced  through  tuberculous  breeding  stock,  even  though  they  live 
continually  in  the  open  air  and  in  the  most  favorable  climates  of  the 
countiy.  Should  it  be  necessaiy  to  condemn  4  or  5  per  cent  of  our 
beef  cattle,  as  is  the  case  in  some  parts  of  Australia  and  New  Zealand, 
the  loss  would  be  tremendous  and  would  be  a  great  burden  upon  the 
cattle  industry.  At  present  our  condemnations  are  about  one-tenth 
of  1  per  cent,  amounting,  with  5,000,000  cattle,  the  number  annually 
inspected,  to  5,000  carcasses.  If  these  carcasses  are  worth  $50  each, 
the  annual  loss  from  cattle  condemned  on  account  of  tuberculosis  would 
be  $250,000.  If  the  condemnations  were  raised  to  5  per  cent,  how- 
ever, it  would  mean  the  j^early  destruction  of  250,000  carcasses,  which, 
at  the  same  valuation  per  carcass,  would  be  worth  $12,500,000.  To 
this  we  should  add  at  least  an  equal  sum  to  cover  losses  among  dairy 
stock  and  purebred  cattle,  and  perhaps  $5,000,000  for  loss  among 
swine.  Is  it  not  worth  our  while  to  endeavor  to  protect  our  stock 
growers  from  such  a  drain  on  their  industry  and  one  which,  once 
established,  could  not  be  stopped  for  many  years? 

PRESENT   REGULATIONS   PROPER   AND    CONSISTENT. 

In  order  to  create  a  prejudice  against  the  regulations  requiring  the 
testing  of  imported  cattle  for  tuberculosis,  the  regulations  of  the 
Department  have  been  misrepresented  and  most  unjustly  criticised. 
One  writer  presented  the  subject  as  follows: 

Look  into  the  law  as  it  now  exists  between  Canada  and  the  United  States  and  it 
will  lie  found  to  be  the  most  nonsensical  arrangement  that  has  ever  been  entered  into 
by  any  two  civilized  countries.  Purebred  cattle  on  the  free  list,  so  far  as  duty  is 
concerned,  are  subject  to  test  before  they  are  allowed  to  pass  either  way,  cattle  of 
no  breeding  or  not  purebred  are  passed  either  way  on  inspection  and  the  payment 
of  duty.  Can  it  be  possible  that  this  arrangement  was  advised  by  our  chief  veteri- 
narians because  there  would  be  no  revenue  from  the  poorer  class  of  cattle  anyway, 
as  the  expense  would  be  too  great  and  the  profit  would  not  pay  for  it,  or  are  the  pure- 
bred cattle  the  only  cattle  subject  to  tuberculosis? 

The  facts  are  that  the  regulations  do  not  mention  purebred  cattle 
nor  place  any  restrictions  upon  them  which  are  not  applied  to  other 
classes  of  cattle.  All  cattle  over  six  months  old,  whether  purebred 
or  common  stock,  if  imported  for  breeding  or  dairy  purposes,  are 
required  to  be  tested;  while  all  cattle  for  immediate  slaughter,  and  for 
grazing  or  feeding,  and  all  calves  under  six  months  old.  are  admitted  on 
inspection  without  the  tuberculin  test.  It  should  be  apparent  to  any 
intelligent  person  that  if  the  effort  had  been  to  make  regulations  which 
would  apply  only  to  valuable  stock,  then  purebred  calves  would  have 
been  tested  and  dairy  cattle,  which  are  mostly  of  common  stock,  would 
have  been  permitted  to  come  in  without  test. 


TUBERCULIN  TEST  OF  IMPORTED  CATTLE.          21 

After  this  explanation  was  made  the  editor  reiterated  the  charge  of 
lack  of  intelligence  and  inconsistency  in  the  regulations,  arguing  that 
all  cattle  are  subject  to  tuberculosis,  and  that  consistency  demanded 
that  all  or  none  should  be  tested.  This  charge  was  taken  up  and 
republished  with  variations  by  a  number  of  agricultural  journals, 
which  apparently  favor  the  free  importation  of  diseased  cattle  and 
their  fraudulent  sale  to  American  farmers.  For  this  reason  a  further 
explanation  of  the  regulations  is  deemed  advisable  in  order  to  satisfy 
every  unbiased  person  as  to  their  reasonableness.  The  regulations 
have  been  drawn  to  require  that  those  classes  of  cattle  which  are  most 
affected  with  tuberculosis  should  be  subjected  to  the  tuberculin  test, 
and  that  those  which  are  only  rarely  affected  should  be  allowed  to  come 
in  without  this  test.  That  is  the  only  motive  which  was  considered, 
and  it  is  a  proper  and  consistent  one.  The  class  of  cattle  offered  for 
importation  from  Canada,  which  has  been  found  most  seriously 
affected  with  tuberculosis,  is  the  purebred  stock.  Of  these  cattle,  1 
in  5  has  been  found  tuberculous.  The  class  of  cattle  coming  next  in 
danger  is  the  dairy  stock,  mostly  cows  imported  for  milk  production. 
Not  more  than  1  in  2,000  of  the  cattle  brought  in  for  grazing  and  feed 
ing  is  affected  with  tuberculosis,  and  only  a  slightly  larger  proportion 
is  found  among  cattle  for  immediate  slaughter  and  calves  under  six 
months  old. 

The  object  of  the  regulations  is  to  protect  the  American  farmer  from 
tuberculosis.  This  disease  is  brought  to  him  in  nearly  every  case  by 
purebred  stock  or  dairy  cows.  Consequently,  it  is  required  that  these 
classes  of  cattle  should  be  tested  before  they  are  allowed  to  enter  the 
country.  The  cattle  for  immediate  slaughter  do  not  go  to  the  farms 
or  mingle  with  farm  cattle,  and  therefore  there  is  no  reason  for  test- 
ing them.  The  cattle  for  grazing  and  feeding  are  mostly  young  stock, 
and.  like  our  own  beef  cattle,  are  still  comparatively  free  from  tuber- 
culosis. It  is  thought  that  the  danger  from  such  cattle  is  not  sufficient 
under  present  conditions  to  wan  ant  the  expense  of  a  tuberculin  test. 
If  there  is  any  inconsistency  anywhere  it  is  found  in  the  case  of  an 
editor  arguing,  on  the  one  hand,  that  purebred  cattle.  20  in  loo  of 
which  are  tuberculous,  should  not  be  tested,  and.  on  the  other  hand, 
that  grazing  cattle,  only  1  in  2.ooo  <>f  which  are  tuberculous,  should 
be  tested.  It  does  not  need  an  extended  argument  to  prove  that  when 
one  class  of  cattle  has  400  times  as  much  tuberculosis  as  another  class, 
the  class  most  badly  affected  may  require  different  regulations  from 
the  class  which  is  scarcely  at  all  affected. 

Moreover,  the  Department  is  not  seeking  to  enforce  regulations  so 
rigorous  and  burdensome  as  to  be  theoretically  perfect  in  preventing 
the  introduction  of  tuberculosis.  If  it  went  to  this  extent  it  would  be 
necessary  to  test  horses,  sheep,  swine,  and  dogs,  as  well  as  all  cattle. 


22  BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 

It  does  not  consider  this  necessary,  but  if  it  did  go  to  this  extreme, 
those  who  now  demand  such  action  on  the  ground  of  consistency  would 
be  loudest  in  their  denunciations.  If  any  mistake  has  been  made  it  is 
in  allowing  the  importation  of  purebred  calves  under  six  months  old 
without  a  tuberculin  test.  These  animals  are  tuberculous  to  a  far 
greater  extent  than  any  of  the  other  classes  allowed  to  come  in  with- 
out test,  and  if  the  regulations  are  made  more  comprehensive,  such 
calves  should  be  the  first  included  within  their  scope. 


O 


— .,. 

A     001  087  840     3 


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